


A Fox in a pickle

by CMA6725



Series: Of Men and Legends [9]
Category: Zorro (TV 1990)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29760093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMA6725/pseuds/CMA6725
Summary: As Diego take over form Doctor Hernandez, he needs to juggle one more identity - that of the pueblo's doctor.Menawhile, Don Alejandro has a nightmare which is close to coing true, De Soto gets ambushed, and Diego gets in trouble when he is abducted by some thugs.
Relationships: Victoria Escalante/Diego de la Vega
Series: Of Men and Legends [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177262
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

They were in the middle of the plaza, in full daylight.

Diego lay spread on the ground, lifeless eyes open, pointed at the blue, cloudless sky. The wound which had ended his life was not visible so it was, most definitely, in his back. Its result was the same. Don Alejandro knew that his only remaining son, the only one he had ever known, was dead as he felt his own heart physically aching in his chest.

Raising his eyes, he saw Private Lisandro Bautista, one of De Soto's new recruits, was standing just a few feet away, smoking musket in hand, smiling at his accomplishment.

"Well done, Private!" De Soto tapped the man's shoulder. "I will make sure you get your due reward for this! Mendoza, you may release the Indian. I won't be needing him anymore."

Don Alejandro tried to mutter a protest, but no words left his lips.

The lancer smiled at his commander, then all those gathered in the plaza left one by one, until only Victoria, Felipe and Diego's father were left.

"Such a waste!" Victoria uttered, looking at Diego's body, no emotion displayed on her face. "He should have seen that coming! You should have warned him!" She addressed the old don.

At that point, Don Alejandro woke up in his bed. He was sweating profusely and, without thinking, he got off the bed, put on his slippers and headed, in his nightgown, towards Diego's room.

His son wasn't there and the old don felt a moment of panic as he wondered if it had been just a dream or had Diego truly been killed by one of De Soto's men.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, he headed for the library and found his son and grandson dressed and carefully studying some books.

"Father!" The tall caballero exclaimed at seeing him. "What are you doing up this late?"

"You're alright?" Was all the old don could utter.

"Of course, Father! Felipe and I are just trying to find some information on the miracle of birth. Although, based on the pictures in my books, 'miracle' might not be the term I would use for the entire process." Remarking the inquiring look on his father face, he proceeded to explain himself. "Señora Madeira's due date is about a month away, and I want to be ready, should I be needed. Although, I confess, I am not looking forward to that experience, and truly hope the midwife will be able to handle it." Diego replied and Felipe smiled a little embarrassed as he was turning around a book to try to understand the picture he was looking at. "My son is set on helping me, should I need it, but I feel he's even less enthusiastic about finding out more about it."

"I can understand why!" Don Alejandro grinned. "It's not something most men are comfortable with seeing."

"I guess not." Diego replied, shutting his book. "I am sorry if it was us who woke you up, Father. We will go to bed soon. I know it's already past midnight."

Glancing at the clock, Don Alejadro noticed it was almost 3 a.m and wondered how his son and grandson were able to stay awake so late. They didn't even look tired. But then, Diego usually stayed up late to read, sometimes even the entire night, and, apparently, that custom was somehow transmitted to the younger man he had raised.

"You didn't wake me up." The elder De la Vega told him. "I had a nightmare and wanted to make sure you were fine, that's all."

"A nightmare? What sort of nightmare would have you so concerned, Father?"

"Oh… It was nothing. Just a stupid dream, no doubt." Don Alejandro replied as he was about to return to his quarters. Thinking twice, he turned back around. "I dreamt that Private Bautista, Lisandro to be more precise, shot you… and you were lying dead in the middle of the plaza. It seemed so real, Diego… For a few moments there, I was certain it was real, and when I didn't find you in your room... I…"

"I am quite alright, Father, as you may well see. You may stop worrying now."

"Yes." Don Alejandro smiled and, again, turned to leave.

"Would you care to tell me more about it?" Diego asked.

"Ah…" He stopped and turned back, trying to remember. "There's not much more to tell, Son. All I remember of it was that you were shot in the back, lying there, and De Soto congratulated his man, then asked Mendoza to let some Indian go."

"I see." The caballero smiled.

"You don't think it means something, do you?"

"I think… I think being shot in the back is how Gilberto died. And I think you fear the same fate for me." Diego answered. "But it was just a dream, Father."

"Yes… Just a bad dream stirred up by some unconscious fear I must still harbor since that horrible day." He agreed.

"Must be."

"Although why did Victoria tell me in the dream that I should have warned you, is beyond me. The mind is a tricky thing, isn't it?" The caballero added as he again turned to walk away.

"Good night, Father, and sweet dreams!" Diego wished him.

"Good night, Diego! Get some rest, and let Felipe do the same!" The old don muttered as he was already a few steps away and into the corridor.

Felipe gestured at him as soon as they heard the door to his grandfather's room open and close again.

"No… it was Lorenzo Bautista who made that hole through my hat. I was lucky that time, Felipe. His brother, however, is just as good a shot, from what I've heard."

Some more signs followed.

"You think it might be a warning? Perhaps you are right." He agreed, resting his head pensively on his joined hands. "The Bautistas were brought in specifically to catch Zorro. They are very good marksmen, and only seem to care about personal glory."

ZZZ

The following days were mostly uneventful, as the people of the pueblo were busy preparing the latest shipment for Spain.

Several times a year, the colonies, the Californias included, sent to Cadiz and Barcelona large shipments of provisions, such as grains, peas, butter, cheese, wine, pelts and dried meats, according to the season and availability. In turn, Spain sent a rightful compensation for the goods received, paid by the captains directly to the Alcalde who, in turn, took out his tax and distributed the rest of the money among those who had contributed to the shipment, giving each his due share.

ZZZ

It was almost lunch time, on a slow Tuesday, when the De la Vegas and two of their men came to the pueblo to both bring the last load of provisions for Spain and collect the latest correspondence.

While their men and the lancers took care of the provisions, Don Alejandro headed for the Alcalde's office. As De Soto was not there, he was redirected towards the tavern, while Diego and Felipe went to collect the mail.

"Alcalde! I was looking for you." The don stated at entering the taproom, making his way towards the table occupied by the man he wanted to see. The white-haired man was pensively rereading a letter, and found Don Alejandro's friendly attitude annoying, since he interrupted his thoughts. "We just brought the last load of goods."

"Good for you, Don Alejandro." He replied with little enthusiasm. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Without paying much attention to the De la Vegas, De Soto stood up and headed for his office.

"What was all that about?" Diego wondered as Ignacio almost bumped into him when exiting the taproom, as the caballero entered, holding several letters Mendoza had just handed him. Don Alejandro shrugged his shoulders and sat at a table, just as Victoria came out of the kitchen and headed towards them.

"Holá, Victoria!" Diego greeted her with a smile.

"Buenos días, Señores! What may I get you?" She asked.

"Just a pitcher of your wonderful lemonade." Don Alejandro replied.

"Right away!" She answered as Don Alejandro headed towards a table occupied by two of his friends, leaving Diego and Felipe to stand at the bar. A few lancers also came in and Diego noticed the two Bautista brothers with some concern.

They were rather tall, good looking, both of them, several years younger than Victoria, and respected by their comrades. That was mainly because, unlike them, the Bautistas came from a rich family, having a don for a father. They were, thus, more than able to treat everyone to however much wine they could drink.

Although, truth be told, considering the recent bounties they had collected thanks to Zorro, and the one they were still waiting to collect on the Ramirez Gang, even after the 90% tax, the lancers had enough money to pay for their own wine those days.

Several of the young Señoritas of Los Angeles were also quite smitten with them, and, while the older one took every advantage of their attention, the younger brother seemed to prefer spending his time in the tavern, rather than with the ladies.

"Señorita Escalante!" Lorenzo Bautista addressed the young woman as she returned from the kitchen. He had dark-brown curly hair, green eyes and a beautiful smile, which Victoria had noticed, but granted little attention to since her heart was already taken. "Would you be so kind as to bring two glasses of your best Madeira wine to our table?" He asked.

"Of course," she agreed as she poured the lemonade for Diego and Felipe. "Is that all?"

"Unless you've changed your mind about that courtship, Señorita…" The man teased, earning a frown from Diego, who had to look away to avoid betraying his annoyance at the man's advances towards the woman he loved.

"I have not changed my mind, Private. Nor will I." She answered with a grin and headed back to the kitchen to retrieve the wine. She knew she would refuse any other suitor but still liked the attention.

"You've chosen a difficult one, Hermanito!" His brother admonished. "Everybody knows she is in love with a certain masked bandit. I doubt she will change her mind."

"She will… as soon as I put a bullet through his heart." Diego heard him saying. Felipe stared at his adoptive father, his eyes betraying his concern. "Don't you think so, Don Diego?" The lancer than asked, acknowledging his presence just a feet away from him.

"I'm sorry, Private?" Diego feigned not having eavesdropped.

"Nothing, Don Diego!" Lisandro shut him up. "Don't mind him." He continued, giving his brother a stern look. "Are you preoccupied with something?" He went on asking the caballero "You seem rather pensive."

"Oh…" Diego noticed the suspicious look the man gave him, and deflected the question "I was just wondering what has Ignacio so preoccupied. He seemed in a particularly bad mood just now, when he left the tavern."

"He must have received some bad news from home. He's been like that since he opened that letter he keeps carrying around." Lorenzo replied and smiled at seeing Victoria bringing the wine to the table. "Excuse us!" He said, indicating to his brother that they should join the other men. "Why did you tell him not to mind me?" He proceeded to ask as they left the De la Vegas at the bar.

"His father is known to be that bandit's greatest supporter, and he's Señorita Escalante's best friend. You should know your audience, Lorenzo!" Lisandro uttered just as they reached the table. "As for Zorro, if you really like the woman, let me take the shot. I doubt she will ever forgive you if you kill him." He added in a lower voice.

Diego watched them go and sat at a table, browsing through the letters he had received.

"There's a letter from Emmanuel." He said cheerfully.

Felipe stared inquiringly at him.

"He was my best friend while in university, Felipe, I must have told you about him."

He received just a blank stare in exchange.

"Emmanuel Dos Santos, is one of the best men I know. And my main contender to Sir Edmund's sword," he added with a whisper. "He's not been writing much, lately, that's true, just once every six or seven months. I guess the Army is keeping him busy."

Opening the envelope and taking out the letter, Diego frowned at reading the rather short message from his friend. Emmanuel, who was a captain in the cavalry, had returned home from the front and was about to embark on a new assignment, one about which he wasn't mentioning anything. It was the tone of the letter that had Diego frowning, though, even if nothing in particular seemed concerning.

After finishing it, Diego closed his eyes, hoping his friend would not do something that might end his life on the gallows, then cast all bad thought aside as he glanced at Victoria, and she smiled at him.

ZZZ

"I need to find a way to return home!" De Soto muttered, after, once more, reading the letter informing him of his grandmother's illness. His mother and his grandmother on his father's side were the last family he had, or, at least, the last family he knew. There was another grandfather, an uncle and several cousins, but they never even wanted to meet him, so they didn't really matter.

After the strange Christmas he had had, he had often though about the visions the last of the three ghosts showed him. Among them, was his mother spending the following Christmas alone as his grandmother was dead. True, he had learned that his actions would influence the future, but, while his decisions could very well change things in California, there was little he could do for his grandmother, who was in Spain.

He wasn't sentimental, but those visions had showed him a hole in his heart, one he never knew existed and which only family could fill. Since he wasn't married, the two women in Cadiz were, thus, the only persons able to fill that emptiness at the present, and they were thousands of miles away.

He sat at his desk, pondering his actions as his thoughts kept swirling around the same idea: catch Zorro and return to Madrid a hero, then you will be able to properly take care of both of them, even get yourself a wife if you should so desire.

He sighed. The ghost had also warned him about the consequences of his ill-conceived traps for Zorro and, so far, its warning had come true – at least in part. Doctor Hernandez had not died in February, as the date of the tomb stated, but he did leave the pueblo, and Diego did take over his practice just as he was convinced the caballero would.

But February had come and gone, Diego was alive, so there was no longer any problem with him springing a little trap for Zorro, especially since it would have been a shame to waste the talent of two great marksmen, such as the Brothers Bautista.

"Mendoza!" He shouted, and the man, who was standing just outside his office, came in right away.

"Si, Alcalde!" He replied, standing in attention.

"That Indian bathing in Don Alberto's spring. The one he complained about… Take some men and arrest him."

"Arrest him? But, Alcalde, Don Alberto complained in the tavern. He never made a formal request for us to take measures. Concho only bathed and drunk some water from the spring. There is no law against that! And you know how poor…"

"I am not discussing my orders with you, Sergeant!" De Soto interrupted on a tone that allowed no room for replies.

"Si, Alcalde!" His man uttered, and proceeded in fulfilling the order, bringing in the old Indian man just an hour later.

People gathered in the plaza as the lancers arrived with Concho. He was a lonely old Indian nomad who had arrived in Los Angeles just a few months earlier, and set up a tent in the outskirts of the pueblo, under a tree, living mostly day-by-day without really bothering anyone. Most people believed him a little crazy, yet to everyone he seemed harmless. The old man with long gray hair survived from what he was able to gather and the small handmade decorative ceramic objects he was able to sell and which he called huescos. Most Los Angelinos, even the poorer ones, had several since the old man never accepted charity, so, in order to help him, they bought his animal-shaped ceramics.

"Sergeant!" Diego asked as the De la Vegas came out of the tavern to find out what was the reason for the commotion. "Why are you detaining Concho? What has he done?"

"That's none of your business, Don Diego!" De Soto answered, irritated at the caballero.

"Then I'll make it my business, Alcalde!" Diego replied in a rare display of public defiance, which he proceeded to correct a few moments later. "You are forgetting I am also the editor of The Guardian, and it is the people's right to be informed, just as it is my duty to inform them about everything of interest for the pueblo and its citizens."

"And we all want to know what poor Concho did to be arrested!" Victoria supported her friend.

"Right." De Soto uttered, changing his mind and eying the caballero suspiciously. For a few moments it seemed to Diego that everybody was suspicious of him for some reason that day. "He has been arrested for trespassing. He's been bathing in Don Alberto's private stream. And if you're wondering about the punishment, since it's a rather small offense, he will only receive eight lashes and have to spend the week in jail." The Alcalde informed those present, hopping the news will reach Zorro soon enough. "The punishment will be carried out in an hour."

"Wait, Alcalde!" Don Alejandro tried to stop him. "But the poor man must have not known he was bathing in a private stream. Surely a small fine would be more appropriate a punishment for such action."

"Nonsense." De Soto replied. "It's a drought. The water is especially important these days and I can't allow such offense to go unpunished."

"But… But… I allowed him to bathe." Don Alberto stated at seeing the disapproving glances of the people around him and regretting having complained about the poor Indian man.

"So, you lied? Because, I warn you, Señor, lying about such matters will land you in prison instead!"

"No… I…"

"So which is it?"

"I just don't want him to be whipped, Alcalde!" The don stated. "He didn't cause any damage, anyway."

"Alcalde, if Don Alberto doesn't make a formal complaint…" Diego tried to intervene.

"It is me who has the power to judge the validity of a complaint, De la Vega, and I deem Don Alberto's as valid. Take the prisoner to jail!" De Soto ordered Mendoza. "Don Diego, behave yourself and you will be allowed to visit and take care of his wounds after the thrashing is administered." As he said that, the Alcalde headed towards his office.

"He's in a very bad mood today!" Don Alejandro remarked.

Diego frowned and signaled to Felipe. There was no way Zorro would stand by, allowing for the poor man to be whipped. The young man, though, did not, as usual, head for the hacienda right away to bring Zorro's things into town, but looked at his father pensively.

"What is it, Felipe?"

His son made the sign for 'Don Alejandro' and another one for 'dream'.

"Father's nightmare? You think…" Diego watched at that moment as the two brothers Bautista were summoned into the Alcalde's office. "You might be right, Felipe." He agreed with his son. "Zorro might need some help this time. Bring some muskets with the rest of the things, and the spare costume we use to draw the lancers' fire. I will try to find out what the plan is."

As Felipe made his way towards the cave, Diego crossed the plaza and pretended to lose a button next to the window to the Alcalde's office, doing his best to eavesdrop as he pretended to search for it on the ground. All he was able to hear was 'roof' before Mendoza, noticing him there, came to lend a hand.

"Have you lost something, Don Diego?" He asked innocently.

"Si, Sergeant. A button. Must be here somewhere." He stated, looking intently on the ground.

"Here!" Mendoza noticed it right away, picking it up.

"Gracias, Sergeant!" Diego uttered, raising his eyebrows in resignation at being forced to abandon his position before having heard De Soto's plan.

It was, obviously, a trap for Zorro, brought about by the letter the Alcalde had just received. He half understood De Soto's hope to go home, but he still failed to understand why the Alcalde was so obstinate as not to understand that the easiest way for him to get rid of Zorro was by being a good and fair leader. "Perhaps it's just not in his nature." Diego muttered as he headed towards the medical office.

Felipe soon returned with the items, and met Diego at the back of the office, in the small stable build for the use of the pueblo's doctor.

"It is a trap." Diego told him as he was tying on his mask. "I believe that the brothers are to be positioned on the cuartel's roof. However, I can't be certain since I was interrupted before I was able to adequately listen to the plan. So here's what we'll do, Felipe…" He continued, explaining his plan to his son.


	2. Chapter 2

Half an hour later, as the prisoner was led to the post in the plaza and people gathered to protest the gruesome show, the Brothers Bautista took positions on the cuartel's roof.

Felipe, dressed in a monk's hooded robe Zorro had borrowed from Padre Benitez, made his way to the roof of the church, where he took position, muskets in hand, aimed towards the brothers. Diego hoped his son would not have to intervene since they had already given enough clues over time to the fact that Zorro was working with an accomplice, and that information was endangering the younger man.

Placing the decoy on Tornado, he instructed the horse to circle the pueblo, drawing attention towards him, a strategy which worked well enough to allow him to cross the plaza towards the back of the cuartel without being noticed, as the lancers' muskets were being aimed at the black figure on the stallion.

I can't believe De Soto fall for the same trick twice. Diego mused to himself as he was climbing onto the roof, heading towards the place where the two brothers were positioned.

A few moments later, Lisandro and Lorenzo found themselves at the wrong end of Zorro's fists, and they both fell down into the garrison's courtyard, losing their muskets. Zorro immediately used his whip to bar the gate and jumped down and into the plaza in the people's cheers. Once on the ground, Zorro fought and disarmed some of the other lancers, then did the same to the Alcalde, putting his sword at his neck.

"Alcalde," he uttered as the soldiers froze in place, not knowing what they were expected to do "first, tell your men to put down their weapons!" he ordered.

"Lay down your swords!" De Soto commanded.

"Now, be so kind as to order Mendoza to release Concho, since he has committed no crime, has he, Don Alberto?"

The don glanced around before answering, unsure what to say. "No… I…"

"Never actually filed a written complaint. Alcalde, even a man with your damaged sense of justice should at least be able to read the laws you are here to enforce!"

De Soto furiously glanced at Mendoza, and declared the prisoner free, then turned his gaze again towards his nemesis.

"Now, since even you can't deny that this is nothing more than a trap to capture me, let me point this out for you, De Soto: the only… and easiest way to rid yourself of me is by starting to act like the leader you were sent here to be. Start treating all these good people with the respect and consideration they deserve, stop making up new taxes and help them solve their problems rather than create new ones for them to deal with. Am I making myself clear?" Zorro asked.

"You are this pueblo's main problem, Zorro! The thorn in my side since I first put foot in this pueblo!" De Soto defied him. "I will not stop hunting you until I see you hang!"

"Were you a wise man, you'd know by now the difference between wishful thinking and reality. Do yourself a favor, Alcalde, and stop creating reasons for me to ride. It would be in our mutual advantage and you might get to return to Madrid… with some of your pride… and uniforms still intact." Zorro answered as he cut a Z in De Soto's jacket.

He then whistled for Tornado as the Brothers Bautista exited through the Alcalde's office, muskets in hand, pointed at the man in black. A shot rang through the plaza and a cry of pain was heard. Zorro turned around to identify the source of the yell, and saw them. Only one still had a musket, as the other was holding an injured hand close to his chest.

Moments later, as Lorenzo was again preparing to fire, Tornado, sensing the danger for his master, didn't hesitate to attack the remaining shooter, causing him to lose his musket and head, together with his brother, for the safety of the Alcalde's office. Zorro saluted Victoria with a smile, and lost no more time in mounting his stallion and making his way out of the pueblo.

ZZZ

"Who made that shot?" De Soto yelled as the brothers came out and he was able to process the fact that one of them was injured. "Check the roofs of every building here!" He ordered.

Meanwhile, the moment Zorro rode out, Felipe climbed down from the roof, hid the muskets on top of the confessional – to be retrieved later – and managed to make his way to the doctor's office, entering through the opened window just in time to answer the lancers knocking on the door.

"Where's the doctor?" Sepulveda asked. He had started to refer to Diego that way, even if the caballero had explained a few times that he was not really a doctor. Since he had, however, cured him from a rash just a few days after taking over form Doctor Hernandez, the Corporal insisted on contradicting him.

Felipe signed that Diego had gone to gather some plants he needed to treat Concho after he'd receive the lashes.

"Just my luck!" Lisandro muttered, clearly in pain.

Felipe invited him in and offered to take a look at the wound as Sepulveda and the other lancers returned to their search. He could have made the shot without causing any injury to the lancer, but he felt his father would be safer if the man would be unable to shoot for a while, if not permanently.

The musket ball had left a deep gash in the lancer's hand, which was bleeding profusely. Trying to stop the bleeding, Felipe realized the injury was deep enough to see the bone and, although feeling rather guilty, he was also satisfied that the man would be unable to fire a musket for quite some time, that if he would ever fully recover. It's what he gets for trying to kill Zorro! Felipe thought as he disinfected the wound, causing the lancer to scream in pain. Realizing he was hurting him too much, his innate kindness made him reconsider his actions and he started feeling guilty. After considering what he needed to do for a few moments, he eventually headed for the medical supplies, and took out a bottle of ether.

When Lisandro woke up, about an hour later, just as the lancers called off the search for Zorro's mysterious accomplice, Diego was finishing wrapping his hand in a clean bandage.

"I was expecting to treat different injuries today, Private!" The caballero uttered as he saw he was awake.

"What happened?" He asked, confused.

"My son decided you were hurting too much, so he put you to sleep." Diego replied. "It's called 'ether'." He continued, showing him the bottle with the transparent substance. "Doctors use it to put their patients to sleep so that they might perform different types of surgeries. The patient feels nothing while under its influence, and the doctor can work much faster and without hearing him screaming during the entire operation."

"I didn't scream!" Lisandro protested. "Will my hand be alright?"

"I hope so." Diego answered. "It must be kept clean and you'll have to return daily so that I might have a look at its progress. You will, however, have to stop using it until it is properly healed. You also need to take a few teas and let me know right away if you are starting to feel feverish or the hand feels swollen. If it gets infected, you might end up losing it. But that is the worst case scenario, and it shouldn't happen if you follow my instructions to the letter."

"Si, Doctor. I will do as you say!" The man agreed, frightened at the idea of losing his right hand."

ZZZ

"You're a better shot than that, Felipe!" Diego said after the lancer left his office.

The young man shrugged and bowed his head.

"I know you did it to protect me, and I am grateful you saved my life, but if that injury becomes infected, he'll be lucky to survive at all. Never do that again, Felipe! I don't want you to have such burden on your conscious."

Diego was right to be concerned.

Accepting the other lancers' invitation to drink with them that evening, Lisandro, a little intoxicated, spilled some wine on the bandage. His brother re-bandaged him but had no idea that the wraps needed to be perfectly clean and did not, as Diego had been doing, boil them before use.

By the next day, the lancer's hand had become infected, and he was brought into the doctor's office.

Felipe, blaming himself for the man's predicament, barely moved from his side for as long as he and his adoptive father kept vigil on him, doing their best to lower his fever and help him fight the infection. Three days later, their battle was finally won, as the fever broke and the lancer woke up. The first thing he did was look at his hand, and he was grateful that the temporary doctor had not chosen amputate it. He was also grateful to Felipe, who was, however, feeling too guilty to accept any thanks from him, an attitude which puzzled the lancer.

ZZZ

"So, amigos, are we clear about the plan?" A rough-looking man wearing a cowboy hat and dark-brown clothes asked his friends while sitting around a fire.

There were eleven more men with him, all sharing their evening meal.

"And what if Zorro intervenes, Narcisco? What then?" One of them asked.

"I doubt he will but, if he does, what can one man do against all of us?" The man who talked first replied. "Trust me, compadres! I have been going over every detail of this plan. De Soto will pay for imprisoning me, and we will be 30,000 pesos richer by tomorrow evening. Just follow my plan, and no masked bandit will stand in our way. And after we're done stealing the money and get rid of the lancers, we take the pueblo for all it's got left! And I'll make sure that farmer will pay for La Marka's death!"

ZZZ

The day was finally there when the provisions from Los Angeles were to be taken to the port. Because of the large sum of money due to be taken back as payment for the shipped goods, De Soto took twelve of his lancers with him, leaving the rest under Mendoza's command to guard the pueblo in their absence.

Diego, having decided to escort the convoy as Zorro, informed his father he was heading for Buenaventura to buy some medical provisions, an excuse that gave him the luxury of two days away without stirring any suspicion.

So, as the caravan was heading for the port accompanied by De Soto and his lancers, a black-clad man was following them.

The transport arrived without any incidents. De Soto and the lancers spent four hours with the ship's captain as the sailors carefully weighted the goods and made sure they were fresh and well-packed to travel safely for the entire voyage. After everything was ready, two coffers filled with pesos were handed to the lancers and De Soto made sure to count every coin before ordering his men to place them each in a different wagon and start their journey back to the pueblo.

Zorro was about a mile in front of them, surveilling the most risky places, where the soldiers could fall into a trap. About six miles from Los Angeles, just as he passed Canyon Perdido, he noticed several bandits taking position to ambush the lancers. Taking a better look and realizing there were too many bandits to fight alone, he decided his best course of action was to warn De Soto.

He, thus, hurried towards the party which was heading his way. With little time to spare, as the lancers were by then less than half a mile away, he steered Tornado down a hill which effectively made sure they avoided being noticed by the bandit scouts, and led them just behind the lancers.

"Alcalde!" He shouted, as he hurried towards him.

"Zorro!" De Soto exclaimed as he turned and saw him coming towards them at full speed. "He's come to steal the money! Bautista, Sepulveda and Sanchez you're with me. The rest of you go!"

"No, Alcalde!" Zorro shouted, right as Lorenzo raised his gun and shot at him. Zorro steered Tornado abruptly to the right and the bullet only injured his cape, leaving a big hole in it. Realizing his intentions had been misunderstood, and that what he was trying to prevent was even more probable to happen, he turned the stallion in the direction from whence he came, hoping to be in time to stop the other lancers from plunging straight into a trap.

De Soto watched him change direction and, taking a few moments to decide whether to pursue him or to go after his men, he chose the latter, hoping the masked fiend had given up his attempt to rob the transport.

As the four of them made their way towards the place where the ambush had been prepared, they saw the wagons were blocking the path. Before them there was a large tree trunk which had certainly not been there as they went to the port but the lancers were nowhere in sight.

"This is when you raise your hands, De Soto!" A voice came from up the hill.

Zorro arrived at about that same time, and realized he was too late. He could only see six of the bandits, De Soto and the three lancers who had stayed behind with him, so he decided to keep his position until he could find out what had happened to the other soldiers and how many thugs were they dealing with.

"What is this?" The Alcalde asked as he realized who the man speaking to him was. "You are supposed to be in jail!" He uttered.

"There's no jail able to hold me, Alcalde! Why do you think there was a 3,000 pesos reward on my head?" Narcisco replied. "Now, order your men to stand down and dismount! All of you! Or my boys will fill you with lead."

The Alcalde signaled to his men to dismount, and they all raised their hands as four bandits appeared from behind the nearby rocks, taking away their guns and their swords, and tying their hands behind their backs. They were then led around the boulders and into a small meadow, next to a spring, where they were put together with the other lancers, as their captors proceeded to discuss their fate.

"Let's just kill them! You said it yourself, Narcisco, that we have to get rid of them!" One of the men asked. He had a scar near the left eye and liked playing with a knife, making the lancers fear he might use it against them at any moment.

"No. Let's give the pueblo the chance to buy them back." Another man suggested.

"They won't pay!" Narcisco replied. "Why would they? They dislike the Alcalde and his men. But we might still find a use for some of them later, as we ride in to get all of the pueblo's money. Eat well, my friends! You deserve it. Afterwards we decide what to do with them, then head for Los Angeles just before dusk."

ZZZ

Zorro was considering his options. There were too many bandits for him to take on alone, and they were staying together. He needed to either separate and take them out one by one – which was risky and improbable to achieve without one raising the alarm and, thus, endangering the prisoners – or by creating some type of distraction that might draw the bandits' attention while he liberated the hostages. Anything imitating gunfire, though, would probably prove fatal to the men, so what he needed was some sort of distraction that would not alert them to his presence in the area.

A smile crept on his face as an idea occurred to him. Mounting Tornado, he, thus, hurried towards the pueblo.

ZZZ

Lorenzo hated being forced to do anything. It was why his father had made him and his brother to join the Army, since he felt they both lacked discipline. At that precise moment, Lorenzo, however, wondered if his father might feel the same knowing his youngest son was tied up and gagged, at the mercy of cutthroats who were discussing how to kill him and his comrades, and what to do with their bodies.

He looked around at the faces of his equally concerned fellow lancers, then at De Soto, and noticed they were all studying with interest the nearby hills. "

"So, Señores," Narcisco uttered as he came to stand by the lancers "who wants to die first? The way we see it, we only need De Soto and your uniforms."

"Perhaps we can kill him too and convince the people of Los Angeles he's been replaced, as the Ramirezes did in San Diego." One of his cohorts suggested.

"They might like the idea!" Narcisco stated with a malicious chuckle. "But they already know me, and everyone knows the trick now, so I doubt it would work. No… De Soto we keep alive for now. Get the others undressed and…"

Just then a howl was heard from the hills at their back. Another followed and, soon enough, it seemed like an entire pack of wolves was about to attack.

"They are close. At least a dozen!" One of the men exclaimed.

"Pancho, Virgulino, Díaz! See what's going on!" Narcisco ordered.

His men hesitated as more howls were heard.

"What if they attack us?" Pancho asked.

As the bandits were preoccupied with the wolves about to tear them to pieces, Zorro had made his way around the boulders, hiding himself from view and rapidly reaching the lancers. Taking a finger to his mouth to indicate them to stay silent, he took them one by one behind the rocks, where the bandits couldn't see them – not that they were looking, concerned as they were with the pack of wolves behind the hill at the moment. Using his sword to rapidly cut the bounds around the hands and feet of the first five he managed to drag there, he asked them to help with the others and explained his plan, handing them each a knife.

A few minutes later, just as one of the thugs noticed the number of the lancers was lower and was about to warn their leader, Zorro lit and threw two crying-gas bombs at them, as firecrackers started going off on the same hill behind which they had heard the wolves. The howls, however, seemed unaffected by the loud noises contributing to the generalized panic.

As the bandits started shooting at the hill, unsure what was happening, Zorro and the freed lancers managed to free the others and take them to safety, then, when the bandits' pistols were empty, they all attacked the thugs.

De Soto was not particularly happy with the situation, since he would have preferred to attack Zorro, but the black-clad man was their best chance to make it out alive, since the bandits were set on killing them, while the masked man came to their rescue. In the middle of that fight, right as he found his jaw at the end of a bandit's fist, he realized that the black-clad man he was set on killing was also the one from which he was awaiting salvation. He hated that feeling, but decided he would offer his nemesis a short truce for his help, as long as they all made it out alive and with the money intact.

As for Lorenzo, while partly grateful to Zorro, he decided he had a duty to perform and, in the heat of the battle, as he found a pistol discarded on the ground, he retrieved it and, realizing it was loaded, he aimed it at the masked man, who was fighting Narcisco. Another bandit saw him and, mistakenly believing he was aiming at their leader, pointed his gun at him. Both of them fired almost at the same time and both Narcisco and Lorenzo hit the ground almost simultaneously.

Zorro looked flabbergasted at his now-dead adversary, then at the lancer who, he realized, had tried to kill him as it was just a last-moment exchange of places which had ended with the gang's leader losing his life instead. Another man attacked and he had to return to the fight, before having the time to find out if Lorenzo was also dead. Some ten minutes later, the four bandits who were still fighting decided to retreat and, heading for their steeds, they rode away, abandoning the others.

The howls still continued as Zorro was wondering whether or not he should make a quick escape, considering he was surrounded by half the garrison, even if the men were basically unarmed.

"Those are not wolves, are they?" De Soto asked, making no attempt on him.

"No." He answered. "You have Concho's huescos to thank for the distraction I used to get to you."

"I also thank you, Zorro." The Alcalde replied, a gesture that made the masked man nervous even if it had not been offered with that intention.

"You misunderstood me. I was only trying to warn you about the trap." He replied, looking sadly towards the body of the fallen lancer.

"You can hardly condemn me for misreading your intentions. You are an outlaw, after all."

"Even you should have known I had no reason to steal the hard-earned money of the people of Los Angeles, De Soto!" Zorro uttered, doing his best to contain his rage. "The money is…"

A faint noise was heard from Lorenzo, and that attracted the masked man's attention right away.

"He's alive!" He stated, kneeling next to the lancer and inspecting his wound.

"Men! Move him to one of the wagons. We need to take him to Don Diego right away. Sepulveda, ride ahead to the hacienda to warn that we are coming!"

"No!" Zorro stated, knowing full well Don Diego was not going to be able to make an appearance until the following day, considering the alibi he had used. "He's in no condition to be moved. I'll look after him. You take the money to the pueblo and get Don Diego here."

"You expect me to leave my man with you?" De Soto asked.

"You have eight bandits to carry to the pueblo, together with 30,000 pesos." Zorro explained. "You'll need all the rest of your men to guard the transport and the prisoners, since the bandits who escaped might attack again. I will do my best to care for him until your return. I give you my word."

De Soto doubted the idea of leaving Lorenzo with his nemesis, but also knew he wouldn't harm the lancer and didn't mind a new chance to catch him upon his return. He, thus, ordered the lancers to put the already-tied-up bandits in the two wagons and head for the pueblo.

"If he dies…" De Soto tried to warn.

"It will not be my doing…" Zorro replied.

The Alcalde eyed him suspiciously, then realized Sepulveda was still there and proceeded in instructing him, again, that he needed to go ahead and find Diego. A few moments later, with one last glance towards the two men he was leaving in the meadow, he mounted his white stallion and the caravan resumed its march towards the town.

ZZZ

Left alone with the bleeding lancer, Zorro acted instinctively. Taking off his cape, he ripped it into pieces and used it to temporary bandage the man's wound, creating a pressure able to stop the bleeding, then headed towards the other side of the hills where he had balanced Concho's huescos on wooden boards carefully placed on top of rocks.

The ceramics, as he had discovered a while back, after a conversation with the man, when filled with water and moved slowly made sounds which imitated certain animals. The ones he had recently acquired from him, imitated the sounds of wolves and all he needed to do was find a way for them to counter-balance each other at a right angle on to keep the boards and, thus, the huescos moving.

However, it was not for their sound, or for their artistic value Zorro needed them, at that point. What he needed was boiled water and they were both pottery and contained water, thus, extremely useful to him.

The lancer had regained consciousness by the time he came back with all the huescos, and was staring at him in disbelief.

Zorro made a fire about thirty feet away, behind the boulders, and proceeded to put the ceramics in it so that the water inside them might get to the boiling point, then returned to the lancer and retrieved a small bottle from Tornado's saddlebags as well as a needle and string, taking them with him. Heading towards the place where he had made the fire, he put the string and the needle in one of the huescos, letting them boil.

"What are you doing?" The lancer asked nervously when he returned. "Where are my companions?"

"They went to find Don Diego and bring him here to help you. But they've been gone a long time already, the bleeding isn't stopping and I fear your wound might get infected. So, since I have nobody to take care of my injuries, and I have been forced to acquire certain knowledge in the field, I think it best to take care of that bullet wound myself."

"No! You… You will kill me! "Lorenzo protested.

"If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it already." The black-clad man answered. "Despite what you might think about me, I value life… even the life of those who try to take mine." As he said that, he instructed Tornado to kneel, then, carefully helping the lancer up, he helped him on his mount. Tornado stood up and Zorro slowly guided him towards the new campsite, then helped him down. Taking Tornado's saddle blanket, he spread it on the ground, then helped the wounded man lay down on it.

"I'd rather Don Diego did this…. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Lorenzo asked.

Zorro nodded, then poured some ether on one of the pieces of black silk which had been his cape.


	3. Chapter 3

Lorenzo woke up about two hours later, just as De Soto, Mendoza, his brother and a few other lancers arrived at the nearby meadow where they had been kept by the bandits.

"Here!" They all heard Zorro's voice, a bit further away.

Looking up, the injured lancer noticed the masked man was on Tornado.

He also realized that his wound was sutured and bandaged.

"What took you so long?" He heard the outlaw ask.

"We couldn't find Don Diego and it took us a while to... to locate Don Alejandro." De Soto answered, as they came to find Lorenzo in a much better shape than they could have hoped.

"So, where is Don Diego?" Zorro inquired.

"He's away at the moment to Buenaventura. I sent one of my lancers to bring him back as soon as possible. What did you do to him?" De Soto asked as Lisandro kneeled at his brother's side.

"How are you feeling, Hermanito?" He asked.

"I think I'll make it." Lorenzo replied with a smile.

"I believe this is when I take my leave, Señores." Zorro stated, and turned Tornado to head away. A lancer having been sent after his unmasked persona was certainly an inconvenience he needed to deal with soon.

De Soto made a sign to Lisandro and he took out his gun with his left hand, pointing it towards the masked man, who was heading away. Lorenzo caught sight of the gun at the last moment, and knocked it off from his brother's hand, just as he fired. The bullet passed inches from Zorro's right shoulder and he pushed Tornado to a faster gallop, leaning low on his neck, at hearing the shot.

"I guess you are not as good a shot with your left hand as you pretended to be." De Soto admonished Lisandro, and, with a puff at seeing Zorro ride away, turned to instruct his men to carry the wounded lancer to the blanket-taped wagon they had brought for him.

"Why did you do that?" The older Bautista asked his brother as they were in the wagon, careful not to be overheard. "Without him, Victoria Escalante is a free woman."

"He saved my life. I couldn't let you take his. Besides, Señorita Escalante made the right choice with him." Lorenzo replied.

"How can you say that? Because of him you were almost killed."

"No, Lisandro. He saved all of us; and even so, I tried to kill him just before I was shot. He knew that, and still he helped me."

"What did he do, anyway?"

"I am not sure, but I think he took out the bullet and sutured the wound."

"How can you not be sure?"

"I didn't feel a thing, and I didn't look yet. He made me breathe some sort of substance he had in a bottle, and I fell asleep. I only woke up when you arrived." He recounted. "One thing bugs me, though…"

"Which one?" His brother asked pensively.

"He said you were taking too long to get back, but I am quite sure he didn't wait at all. I was just regaining consciousness after being shot, but I know I'd heard the men leaving, and him promising to take care of me until Don Diego could be brought, but then he immediately started the preparations to remove the bullet."

"That is strange. Almost as if he…" Lisandro didn't finish his thought, just smiled at his brother and changed the topic of the conversation.

ZZZ

The lancers arrived in the pueblo just as Don Alejandro and Felipe also came in.

"What now?" De Soto asked.

"It's Diego." The old don answered. "His mare returned by herself half an hour ago. I need your help in organizing a search party. I fear he might be wounded if he was thrown off."

"It's already too dark to organize a search party. And if the horse came back without him half an hour ago, that means he was at least half way to Buenaventura when she threw him. It's… too far to send my men in the middle of the night."

"Alcalde, may I remind you that, if God forbid, anything happens to Diego, this pueblo will be left completely without a doctor?" Don Alejandro pointed out. He didn't even want to think that anything bad might have happened to his son, but he also needed to find him soon, and the lancers were his best option.

"I'd like to volunteer to go search for him, Alcalde!" Lisandro stated. "My brother needs a doctor, and the sooner we find him, the better."

"I can go, as well, Alcalde!" Mendoza stated, and a few other lancers also volunteered.

"Alright! Alright! Well, Don Alejandro, seems like you have your search party." De Soto uttered as his men were taking Lorenzo to the barracks.

ZZZ

Don Alejandro insisted on leading the search party mostly because he felt very uncomfortable in Lisandro's presence ever since he had that nightmare. Felipe stayed home, in case Diego somehow managed to return on his own. He had been away for about 12 hours, but could have used half of them to slowly make his way back to the pueblo, the old don rationalized.

The tall caballero, however, was, at that precise moment, in somewhat of a pickle. Having made it back to the cave to instruct Felipe to release Esperanza, he then headed on Tornado towards Buenaventura at full gallop. Some 12 miles north of the pueblo he hid behind some trees and changed into the clothes he had worn as he left that morning.

Leaving Zorro's clothes in Tornado's saddlebags and the sword attached to the saddle, and keeping only his knife, well hidden in his boot, he instructed the stallion to return to the cave. He then sat watching the sky for about half an hour, to give his father enough time to form a search party for him, then started walking back slowly.

Unfortunately, he barely got to walk half a mile when he found himself surrounded. Four men held him at gunpoint, and he easily realized they were the bandits which had managed to escape earlier.

"I have no money, Señores. My mare threw me off, and took all I had with her." He told them, hoping they would not become aggressive.

The bandits chuckled maliciously.

"Then you shall die, Señor." One of them stated.

"Wait, Pancho!" Another of the bandits said. "I recognize him. He's the son of a rich caballero. His father will pay to have him back."

"I don't think I want any more hostages!" Pancho replied.

"But think about it! He's worth at least 10,000 pesos. And he's known to be completely inept when it comes to fighting. He will hardly give us any trouble, will you, Caballero?" The man asked as he dismounted and pointed his gun at Diego.

"Hardly." He agreed reticently, raising his hands.

ZZZ

About an hour later, as Don Alejandro and the lancers arrived at the place where Diego was abducted, they noticed one of his buttons shining in the light of the torches and the lamps they were carrying.

"It's Diego's." The old don said at inspecting it.

"The last time he left his buttons behind was when those pirates took him." Mendoza pointed out.

"If someone has abducted my son, he will not live long enough to regret it!" The haciendado stated, his voice trembling with rage.

"There's one more here!" One of the lancers pointed out at finding a second button a few feet east of the first one. "I think this means they went that way."

The search party followed the button trail left by Diego, for two miles putting off the torches when they observed the light from a fire burning beyond some trees.

Carefully, they approached the campsite.

ZZZ

In the meanwhile, Diego, who did not fight back in a hope to thus perpetuate his public image, had been forced to follow the bandits on foot, attached with a rope to one of their horses. By the time they set on a camping site, he was more than fed up with them. Considering his options, he soon asked to be allowed to make himself some tea and they let him collect some cactus fruits and roots.

"How can you drink that?" One of the men asked as he grimaced at the smell of the fowl drink still boiling in their only pot.

"This tea is a miracle worker. It has a multitude of uses, from healing injuries to energizing the body… and once taken, it has similar effects as alcohol on the brain. I'm afraid I've become quite addicted to it. Plus, if I close my eyes and hold my breath, I can hardly smell it. The only thing is that I need to drink a fair amount for it to work." He told them.

"Like alcohol?" Pancho asked. "You don't say!"

"My father's wine would go unsold if others would discover this tea, I assure you. Which is why I keep the recipe for myself."

"Really?"

"Of course. California is full of cacti, so making this drink would cost next to nothing."

The men glanced at each other as Diego was doing his best to contain a smile.

"I'll judge for myself if it's as good as you say it is." One of them eventually decided.

"Why you? I will!" Pancho replied.

"You always want to decide. I want some, as well!"

After a few minutes of quarreling, the bandits decided to deprive Diego of all his tea, and split it equally among themselves, ignoring his protests at their actions.

"You can make more for yourself afterwards." One of them said.

"And for us, if what you say it's true." Another added.

ZZZ

By the time Don Alejandro and the other men arrived to the camp, the four bandits were sleeping peacefully as Diego was tying up their hands and feet.

"Son!" The old don exclaimed in stupor.

"Father!" Diego greeted him with enthusiasm. "And Sergeant! You've arrived just in time!"

"What happened here?" Mendoza questioned as the rest of the lancers were carefully looking at the sleeping men.

"Sergeant! These are the bandits who escaped earlier." One of the lancers stated.

"You know them?" Diego questioned.

"Not I… But the men… There was an ambush on the money transport earlier today." Mendoza answered.

"Oh, dear! Was anybody hurt? How about the money?"

"Just my brother. But he is fine and the money was already distributed to the people." Lisandro replied, looking inquisitively at the caballero. "What happened to them?" He then asked, referring to the men sleeping on the ground.

"They kidnapped me, but I managed to convince them to drink one of the tea recipes I found in a book once. It has a powerful sedative effect. After they drunk it, they fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Then it was just a matter of taking away their weapons and tying them up." Diego recounted proudly. "I was just wondering what to do with them when you showed up."

"You managed to capture four dangerous bandits, all by yourself, without throwing a punch?" Don Alejandro wondered, looking in astonishment at his son.

"One doesn't always need a gun or a sword to defeat an enemy, Father. Books can be just as useful a tool." Diego replied with a smile.

ZZZ

"Just my luck!" De Soto muttered as a courier arrived a couple of weeks later. "The reward for the Ramirez Brothers was granted to Manuel Hernandez for having captured them in the first place, and out of all the bandits we apprehended two weeks ago, only six had rewards on their heads, four of which were the ones captured by De la Vega!" He took a deep breath, puffed, signed for the money, then gave the courier a coin and directed him towards the tavern.

He counted the coins and divided them in twelve piles. Eight of them he separated from the others, and placed in two bags. Then, he counted four hundred pesos making small piles, and placed the rest with the taxes. The four small piles then he divided among the enlisted men. Lorenzo had been the one to shoot Narcisco and could have claimed the 3,500 pesos on the man - or 350, to be more precise, after the 90% tax was applied - but he had already informed him that he wanted to share all rewards with the rest of the enlisted men.

When he finished, he carefully placed the coins into the safe to be distributed later, then sighed and took the two bags, heading towards the medical office.

He hesitated a few moments before knocking.

"Felipe! Will you open the door, please?" Diego asked his son as he was checking Lorenzo's wound at that very moment. His brother was also there, the caballero having checked his hand first.

"Alcalde!" Diego greeted as the white-haired man entered.

"How did Felipe know to answer the door?" De Soto asked instead of greeting.

"I asked him to." The caballero replied as the lancers glanced at each other.

"I came to bring you your reward money, Don Diego!" Ignacio informed him, hoping to get it over with as soon as possible. "You'll have to pay the usual 10% tax on them by the end of the month, though."

"The reward money?" He asked with undisguised surprise.

"Yes. The bandits you captured each had rewards on their heads. Here is the eight thousand pesos you are due!" The Alcalde handed him the bags of money.

"Oh… Can you please leave them over there?" Diego indicated his desk.

De Soto frowned and did as asked, then took his goodbye and left.

The caballero glanced at his son with a mixture of incredulity and amusement, then returned to checking Lorenzo's injury.

"It is healing nicely." He decided, admiring his own work. "These might be the last bandages you need for this injury."

The lancer smiled as he proceeded to bandage the wound again.

"That is lucky, since we are planning on leaving early tomorrow morning, and I was hoping my brother would be well enough to travel." Lisandro answered.

"Leaving? Are you taking some days off?" Diego inquired.

"No. We've decided to quit the military. Our father needs us home to help him with the hacienda." Lorenzo informed him.

"I see… But… I thought you were set on capturing Zorro!" Diego replied.

"We were. Not anymore." The same man answered, exchanging a knowing smile with his brother.

"Really?" The caballero asked. "What prompted that change?"

"He tricked us!" Lisandro replied after glancing towards his brother.

"He did?" The temporary doctor asked with some incredulity and a fast confused glance at Felipe.

"Oh, yes. He pulled quite a trick on us both. We are now indebted to him, and it would be dishonorable to kill a man to whom we owe our lives…" Lorenzo stated smiling at Diego.

"Plus, after finally listening to the stories the other lancers told us, we reached the conclusion that most of them have a similar debt, even if not all of them know it." Lisandro continued as Diego finished bandaging his brother, and the lancer started getting dressed. "Changing the subject…" the man continued taking the almost-full bottle of ether and studying it "you know, Don Diego, I find this substance you have here fascinating. Ether, you said, right?"

Diego just looked at him intently and nodded.

"I made some investigations into it. Doctor Hernandez's last acquisition of ether was done last summer, and he cancelled his last order as he left for Monterey. You are the only person left in Los Angeles acquiring it, and, according to my sources, you have been buying it for about eight years now. However, apparently, there are two persons using it."

Lisandro paused a little after saying that, enjoying the look on Diego's face.

"I'd suggest you consider adding something to the one you use here that might make its odor distinguishable from the one used by… the other. We wouldn't want you to be mistaken for a certain masked outlaw, now, would we?" Lisandro looked defiantly at the caballero, then stared at Felipe. "Adios, Señores!" He said as he opened the door to leave."

"Doctor…" Lorenzo uttered offering him his hand. Diego understood the gesture for what it was, and shook it with a sincere smile on his face, as the younger man also said goodbye and followed his brother.

Felipe started gesturing the moment they left the office.

"Yes… apparently ether is a dead giveaway if anyone bothers to investigate." Diego replied to his son's gestures. "But it's not like I had a choice. I didn't have the time to return, and the man was losing too much blood. I had to operate, or he would have died."

Felipe continued to gesture.

"Yes… but I doubt they will share their suspicions with anyone, or they wouldn't have made that suggestion. Even so, they can't exactly prove anything. There are also other distributors in California, and I can always say I was using it for my experiments. But they do have a point. I guess I'll have to find a way to make this ether smell differently from the one Zorro uses."

His son looked preoccupied, and Diego realized he needed to distract him.

"Would you like me to show you my progress on blood transfusions?" He asked as he directed Felipe towards the other room, where he had installed a small laboratory.

ZZZ

The other lancers regretted seeing the brothers leaving. They had become used to having them around and liked their usual cheerfulness.

Don Alejandro, however, was more than relieved as he was finally able to forget about the nightmare he had had almost a month earlier, and never even realized how close it had been to coming true.


End file.
